Lithuania has collected over USD 21,000 to help Ukrainian army

The Lithuania Riflemen’s Union, the Baltic nation’s main paramilitary group, has purchased several pieces of medical equipment and its members are taking them to the frontline of Ukraine’s Donbas region. This is a blood transfusion machine and its brand new.

The group has collected over USD 21,000 for medical equipment to help Ukrainian fighters in the east.

Despite the Ukrainian government announcing that over the course of 2015 it increased defence spending to USD 3.5 billion, volunteer organisations are continuing to donate funds to make up for some of the shortfalls.

“We plan to call on people to donate…”, said Herald Dublis, Member of Lithuania Riflemen’s Union.

Since Russia’s military intervention in east Ukraine the Lithuania Riflemen’s Union has more than tripled in size and plans to continue helping the Ukrainian army.

The paramilitary group is nearly 100 years old and was banned during Soviet times. Now, with some analysts claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be plotting to resurrect much of the old Soviet Union, the group has made aiding Ukraine one of its main priorities.